Shock-absorber.



A. PETELER.

SHOCK ABSORBER. APPLICATION TILED FEB. 20v, 1912.

1,072,770, Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. v

A'. PE'I'ELERf SHOCK ABSORBER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, 1912.

1,072,770, Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.'

- ame STAWENT onn ou.

atom PETELER, F new xonx, it. Y.

sHooK-AB'so'hBEit.

To all whom it may concern Be'it known that I, AnoLPH PnrELnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at 330 VVest- Seventieth street, New York, county of New- York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shock-Absorbers, fully described and represented in the following specification and the .accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthe same.

This invention relates to that class of Y shock absorbers in which a' cylindrical box is provided with abutments and filled with liquid, and'a spindle is fitted to rotate in the box and provided with wings to press.

upon the liquid; the box and spindle being attached at their outer. ends'. to the vehicle parts which need restraint. Violent movements of the vehicle body require resistance in both directions, but less during the downward movement, which is also resisted by the vehicle springs. During the reactive movements when the springs are lifting the body the resistance of the brake must be operate automatically under sudden movestronger, and'in orderto provide for varying the resistance in these movements, holes "are. extended through the spindle and the wings, or through both, and provided with valves to regulate the movement of the fluid from one side ,ofthe wings to the other. The valves applied to the holes in the wmgs ments of the apparatus; but the holes ex- 3 finger and scale are provided to show the adjustment of the valve accurately so that it may be changed in a definite degree, or so that the valve may be restored to any previous adjustment which has been found satisfactory for rough or smooth roads. Normally open spring-valves of special construction are seated upon valve-openings inthe wings, which permit an open communi- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 20, 1912. Serial No. 678,813.

at'enftetl Sept. 9, i913.

cation between the opposite sides oft-he wmgs and thus prevent any resistance to the movement, of the fluid during slow or slight movements of the vehicle body, but any sudden movements operate to close the valves during the reactive movement of the vehicle body, and thus impose the increased,

resistance to the vehicle body that is then required. i

The construction will be understood by reference to the annexed drawing, in which'-- I Figure 1 shows the shock-absorber in its I relatiointo the vehicle parts; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through the spindle of the shockabsorbe'r; Fig. 3 is a section through one of the self-acting wing-valves taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 2, and looking toward the spindle which carries the wings F ig.4 is a section on line 44 in Fig. 2; Fig.5 isa perspective view of one of the abutments with that side of the-box to which it is attached; Fig. .6 is'a section online 66 in Fig. 2; and'Fig. 7 is a plan of'the shock-absorber detached from the vehicle.

' A designates one of the jointed arms attached to a clip B upon the vehicle spring C,

and D designates the jointed arm attached to the movable body or frame of the vehicle. The arm A is provided with the box a having a fixed head I) and a removable head I), the box having the abutments a secured therein by screws 0' through the shell of the box. The abutments are provided with flat flanges a next the heads Z), Z) of the box, the flanges lying against such heads and being fitted against the shell of the box which holds them firmly to resist the violent strain which is at times imposed upon them by the movements of the wings. The flanges are upon the side of the abutment opposite that. i which receives the strain so that they are strongly braced against the shell of the box. The abutments are thus as strong as if integral with the box, while their removability greatly facilitates the boring of the box to] make its bore cylindrical. The heads are provided with bearings f and f, and a spindle g is journaled in the bearings, and thearm D is connected detachably to its outer end. The spindle hasradial wings h attached thereto which are movable during the oscillations of the spindle in the spaces between the abutmentaand the entire space in the box is filled with a non-freezing agent,

' like glycerin, and a stulling-box g is providedupon the bearing 7'' at the neck of the spindle to prevent leakage of the liquid thereat. lhe arms are so connected to the i vehicle parts that the wings, when the vehiby the arrows in Fig. 6. The space containing the arrows is the pressure-side ofthe w ngs, while the space in which the arrows 0 are located may be termed the negative-side upon which the construction hereinafter described prevents any pressure from occurring. The body of the spindle \has a cylindrical tubular bored at its inner end and transverse, holes 0, 0' extended from the bore outwardly to the spindle at different points in the length of the said bore, and a cylindrical hollow valve 6 is fitted to the bore at its inner end where it can cover the holes 0, but leaving the holes 0 constantly uncovered. The transverse holes 0, 0' extend through the body at different angles to the 'wings so that the holes 0 connect with the spaces upon the forward side of the wings and the holes 0' connect with the spaces upon the rear side of the wings, as shown in Fi 6. The holes at opposite sides of the spin les are thus in communication with the spaces at opposite sides of both abut-ments.

The hollow valve c has a stem 6 extending through the spindle and beyond its outer end, and its interior is open toward the holes 0, and it has holes which correspond with the holes 0 when the valve is suitably turned. In such adjustment of the valve, the

40 brake opposes aweak resistance to the shocks upon the vehicle body as the by-passchannel is held open, but the turning of the valve to wholly or partially close such channels increases the resistance in any desired degree. 45 An index p for turning the stem on the said valve is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and a scale is shown upon the arm D. by which the valve c may be turned and the channel 0 opened or closed, the resistance in such positions being indicated upon the index by the words \Veak and Strong and intermediate numbered marks upon the scale express the various graduations of resistance in such intermediate position. The numbered marks upon the scale q enable the operator to record any adjustment which proves suitable for roads in a given condition; so that the adjustment of the valve may be changed when necessary and restored to any point which ance to severe shock is shown in the valves 1 which are seated upon valve-openings s in the wings h and guided by yokes s, the

g' nected with a supply chamber.

was previously found desirable for certain valves moving toward the liquid in the box during the reactive movement of the shockabsorber, and being held normally open by very light springs If so that the liquid can pass through the openings 8 if the movement of the wings be slow; but if the shock-absorber receives a violent reactive movement the inertia of the liquid in-the box pushes the valves shut and thus promptly increases the resistance of the absorber. The yoke s is provided upon theside of the wing opposite to that where the valve is seated, so as not to interfere at all with the movement of the liquid toward the valve, and the valvestem 1" extends from the valve through the yoke and has a collar upon its outer end. The yoke is arched from the side of the wing sufficiently to insert the spring 25 between the top of the yoke and the valve 1' so as to press the same normally away from the wing. This arrangement of the valve r to close automatically during a quick reactive movement aitords the device a free play when subjected to slight movements, thus easing the movement .of the vehicle body 0 until it is jolted sufiiciently to require the braking effect of the shock-absorber, which then comes into action automatically to check such violent movements.

I have found by experience that if a tightly closed box or casing be completely filled with liquid, its joints are strained by the expansion of the liquid when subjected to increase of temperatureyand I therefore provide a supply-chamber 4; containing a surplus of liquid u which is pressed nor-' mally and continually toward the interior of thebox a .piston 22 having a spring 1/. Such spring-piston.yields upon.a'ny expansion of the liquid upon the box, while the piston in the reverse condition is pressed toward'the boxby the spring and the box thus kept supplied at all times. Such spring piston does not move through the liquid and i is thus distinguished from any valve con- It simply exerts a yielding pressure continually upon the liquid in the box. The box is connected withthje spaceupon the negative side of the Wmgsiin'which no pressure occurs, and the 11-5 piston is therefore able to perform its functions without any obstruction. Pressureupon the negative side of the wings is prevented by the normal opening of the valves 7' when the wings move toward their negatwo side where the arrows 0 are located in The valve 7' in Fig. 3- is shown opera which is-its normal position; but in Fig. 6 the valves areshown closed, as would be the ,case if the wings were moved suddenly in the direction of the arrows 0 under a. violent shock, such closing of the valve preventing the passage of liquid from one side of the wings to the other, the onlyremain- 13 ing passage for the movement of the liquid then being through the aperture 0 which is regulated by the valve 6.

A draining plug to is shown in. the bottom of the box by which the liquid may be withdrawn when it is necessaryto renew the same, the fresh suppl being inserted through the supply-cham er u, by removing its cap which holds the piston and spring in place.

A packing w is inserted ,in the bore a of the valve stem 9 between the shoulder of the valve e and the bottom of the bore a, .to

prevent leakage past'the stem where it extends beyond the outer end of the spindle g, and such packing may be adjusted by a nut 3 applied to the outer end of the stern over the index-arm p; The valve-stem is flattened, as shown upon the end of the same in Fig.1, to-fit a corresponding hole in the index arm p, which permits the valve-stem to slide through the index arm when it'is moved by the nut y to tighten the packing w My improvements render the shock absorber more eflicient without adding materially to its cost. a

- Having thus setforth the nature of the invention what is claimedherein is:

1. In a shock absorber having a cylindrical box with abutments therein and a spindle" rotatable'in the boxwith radial wings movable between the abutments and having each a valve-opening therethrough, the combination, with each of such wlngs, of the yoke s projected from one side of the wing centrally over the valve-openings, the valve 1' fitted to seat upon the opposite side of the wing and having stem .rfitted movably to the yoke, and a spiralspring p fitted to the valve within the yoke andoper'atin to hold the valve normally from its seat, t e access of fluid to the valve and opening beneath thi same being thus unobstructed by the yo e.

2. In a shock absorber having jointed arms, the combination, with one of the arms,

of a cylindrical box with abutments therein,

the other arm and having rotary wings movable between the abutments, liquid filling the interspaces in the box,'the supply-chamber u'in open communication with the liquid within the box and having a supply of liquid therein, and apiston owith a spring 4) applied to the outer side of the liquid in the supply-chamber and operating to press heads of the box pressed against the shell i of the box to resist the SlZIaIII'imPOSBd by the movement of the'wings.

In testimony whereof I have hereuntoset my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

L. LEE,

V THOMAS S. CRANE. 1 v

ADOQLPHPETELER.

. a spindle rotatable inthe box and attached to I 

